Bio

Ben Singer’s musical background begins with his parents, a Manchester and Leeds couple equally engaged in the folk revival of the 1950’s and the Jewish youth movement Habonim. This mixture resulted in band of British musicians traveling in Israel from kibbutz to kibbutz playing bluegrass.

Ben did not grow up playing bluegrass. Instead, he played the euphonium and tuba, with frequent forays into other musical instruments laying about the bandroom of his Kansas high school. Ben attended Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Keystone Brass Institute and performed at national tuba-euphonium conferences and competitions.

Upon arriving at the Eastman School of Music, the absurdity of a euphonium performance degree became apparent. Ben began an obsessive study of piano and computer programming, leaving music school to pursue both interests for the next decade.

After scaling back a successful career writing music software, Ben found that North Carolina’s musical traditions struck a deep chord. From Piedmont blues to bluegrass, guitar and banjo opened a door both to his parent’s music and to a strong community of musicians. Ben combines these styles with his formal training in jazz and classical music and with a wide array of influences to create a voice both unique and authentic.

Ben performs original music as a singer/songwriter, a band member, and as Modern Robot, which plays live soundtracks to classic silent films and other weird movies. Ben is a frequent collaborator with many of Greensboro’s musicians as a performer, studio musician, recording engineer, and video producer.